What Can Cats Eat? Safe & Unsafe Human Foods for Cats

Excellent protein source. A few small bites (a 1-inch cube is a large snack) can be given as treats, even daily.

Ensure meat is plain – many cats love these meats for their natural flavor.

Rich in omega-3 fatty acids (especially oily fish like salmon or mackerel).

Fish can benefit cats’ coat and joint health, but offer in moderation (e.g. a cube of fish or a teaspoon of flaked fish as a treat) a few times a week.

Cats adore fishy flavors, but too much tuna or oily fish can add excess calories.

Eggs are a great source of protein and B vitamins for cats.

Offer a spoonful of cooked egg as an occasional treat.

(For example, 1/4 of a scrambled egg or a small bit of boiled egg 1–2 times per week.) Make sure the egg is fully cooked to avoid bacteria.

Most fruits are not required in a cat’s diet, but some cats enjoy them as low-calorie treats. They are safe in tiny quantities.

For example, you might offer a ½-inch cube of watermelon once or twice a week (it’s hydrating but high in sugar), or a slice of banana (1/4 inch) as an occasional treat.

Always monitor for any digestive upset, as not all cats can digest fruits well.

Vegetables aren’t a natural staple for obligate carnivores, but some cats nibble them out of curiosity or for fiber.

Pumpkin is a standout – plain pureed pumpkin (no spices) can help with constipation or diarrhea due to its fiber. A teaspoon to a tablespoon of canned plain pumpkin (not pie filling) mixed into food a few times a week is a vet-approved remedy for stool issues.

Other veggies like carrots or green beans can be given as crunchy treats or fillers, especially for a cat that needs to lose weight (they add volume without many calories).

Limit veggies to small tastes and observe your cat; every cat’s tolerance is different, and too much fiber might cause soft stool in some.

These starchy foods are not particularly beneficial to cats, but they are not toxic.

A lick of oatmeal or a bite of plain boiled rice won’t hurt and can sometimes help firm loose stools. However, cats lack digestive enzymes for grains, so these provide little nutrition.

Offer only sparingly (a teaspoon of rice, or a tiny bread cube) and only if your cat actually likes it. Many cats will ignore grains altogether.

Most adult cats are lactose-intolerant – they lack the enzyme lactase to digest milk sugar. Consuming regular dairy can lead to diarrhea, gas, and stomach upset.

(Kittens have more lactase and can handle milk when very young, but lose this ability as they grow.)

If offering dairy, choose low-lactose options (e.g. a small bit of hard cheese or lactose-free cat milk).

Only give a teaspoon-sized portion or a small cube of cheese to test your cat’s tolerance.

Some cats can handle a lick of plain yogurt or a little cottage cheese, but others will get tummy trouble.

Always observe your cat after giving dairy – if any loose stool or discomfort occurs, avoid dairy entirely.

Many cats adore tuna, but canned tuna (in brine or oil) intended for humans can be problematic.

It often contains high amounts of unsaturated fats but lacks certain nutrients that cats need (for example, excessive tuna can cause vitamin E deficiency leading to steatitis, a painful inflammation of fat).

Tuna can also contain mercury – not an immediate toxin in small amounts, but a concern if fed very often.

Plus, a tuna-heavy diet can lead to thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency or picky eating habits (cats might start refusing their regular food in favor of tuna!).

Use tuna strictly as a small occasional treat. A teaspoon of water-packed, low-sodium tuna once in a while is fine.

For instance, you can let your cat lick the tuna water from the can, or offer a tiny chunk of tuna meat as a high-value treat.

Do not rely on human tuna as a major part of the diet, and avoid oil-packed tuna or tuna seasoned with salt/onion/garlic.

If your cat loves fish, consider switching to a cat-formulated tuna treat or tuna-flavored cat food that is nutritionally complete, rather than frequent feeding of canned tuna.

Small amounts of liver can be nutritious (it’s high in vitamin A and iron), and most cats find it very tasty.

However, too much liver can cause vitamin A toxicity over time, since cats can’t easily get rid of excess vitamin A. This can lead to bone and joint problems.

Also, organ meats are rich and can cause diarrhea if overfed.

You can offer a tiny sliver of cooked liver as an occasional treat – think the size of a dime, no more than once a week.

Organ meat should not be a daily treat. If your cat is on a balanced diet that includes organ meat (some high-end or raw diets do), then avoid giving extra on the side.

When in doubt, limit liver to rare special occasions.

Feeding raw appeals to the idea of a “natural” diet, but it comes with significant risks.

Raw meats can carry bacteria and parasites (like Salmonella, E. coli, and Toxoplasma) that can make your cat (and your human family) very sick. 

Generally, veterinarians do not recommend feeding raw meat or fish unless you are following a carefully balanced, vet-approved raw diet plan.

If you choose to go raw, you must maintain strict hygiene and proper meat sourcing/handling to reduce infection risk – and ideally consult a veterinary nutritionist.

Cooked bones (from fish, poultry, or other meats) become brittle and can splinter.

Splintered bones can cause choking, mouth injuries, or perforation of the intestines – a life-threatening emergency.

Raw bones are softer, but can still pose a risk of tooth fractures or gastrointestinal blockage if too large or if the cat gulps pieces.

Cats in the wild do eat raw bones from prey, but pet cats may not chew them properly.

Avoid giving bones to your cat in most cases. Never give cooked bones.

If you are considering raw bones for dental health or enrichment, talk to your vet about safe options (for example, some vets may approve certain small raw chicken necks or wingtips for dental exercise under supervision).

Even then, always supervise closely. Remove bones once the chewing session is over.

When feeding meat or fish, we remove all bones first to be safe.

Foods high in fat can cause digestive upset (vomiting, diarrhea) and even pancreatitis in cats.

Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas often linked to rich, fatty meals in pets.

Also, cured meats like bacon or salami are extremely high in salt and sometimes spices/nitrates, which are not healthy for cats.

Cats love the smell of bacon, but it’s not a healthy treat.

It’s best to avoid giving fatty scraps entirely. If you must share a taste with those pleading eyes, make it a tiny nibble.

For example, you might offer a cat one little bacon bit once in a blue moon, but making a habit of it can lead to obesity or pancreatitis.

We generally redirect our cats with a piece of lean meat instead.

Remember, what tastes good to us (crispy bacon, mmm) can be too rich for a cat’s tummy.

Cats have a much lower tolerance for sodium than humans.

While a single lick of a potato chip isn’t likely to poison a cat, too much salt can cause dehydration, electrolyte imbalances or even toxicity in extreme cases.

Symptoms of salt poisoning include tremors, seizures, vomiting, and lethargy. Cats also don’t sweat out excess salt like we do, so it strains their kidneys.

Do not intentionally give your cat salty snacks. Keep things like chips, salted nuts, or salted meats out of reach.

If your cat sneaks a lick from a salty chip, provide plenty of fresh water and don’t allow more.

Overall, it’s best to stick to unsalted foods for kitty. Even things like canned meats or broths given to cats should be low-sodium if possible.

Peanut butter is not toxic to cats by itself, but it’s very fatty and often contains additives.

Some peanut butters are flavored with chocolate or the artificial sweetener xylitol, which are dangerous (xylitol especially).

Nuts (like peanuts, almonds, cashews) are also high in fats/oils and can pose a choking hazard or cause GI upset. 

If you want to let your cat try peanut butter, ensure it’s xylitol-free and give no more than a pea-sized amount. It can be useful for hiding a pill due to its sticky texture, but monitor that it doesn’t get stuck or cause coughing.

We sometimes use a dab on a spoon as a distraction during nail trims – some cats lick it off happily. As for nuts, it’s best not to offer them. Most cats won’t chew nuts properly, and the nutritional benefit is low compared to the risk of high fat.

All forms – raw, cooked, powdered, or dehydrated – of onion, garlic, chives, leeks, and their relatives are poisonous to cats. These contain compounds (sulfoxides and disulfides) that damage cats’ red blood cells, causing hemolytic anemia.

Cats are even more sensitive to alliums than dogs. Eating enough of these can lead to weakness, pale gums, collapse, or reddish urine (from blood cell destruction).

Note: even onion/garlic powder in seasonings or baby food has caused toxicity in cats, so be extremely careful with any foods cooked with these ingredients. Avoid all table scraps seasoned with onion or garlic.

Grapes and raisins can cause acute kidney failure in some pets. While this is well-documented in dogs, cats are also believed to be susceptible.

The exact toxic substance is still unknown, and not all pets are affected equally, but it’s not worth the risk. Even a small number of grapes or raisins could potentially cause vomiting, lethargy, and kidney issues in a cat.

Bottom line: never let your cat eat grapes or raisins (and watch out for foods like raisin bread or trail mix where these might be hidden).

These contain methylxanthines (such as theobromine and caffeine) which are highly toxic to cats (and dogs). Dark chocolate and baking chocolate are the worst culprits (highest theobromine content).

Symptoms of chocolate or caffeine poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, rapid breathing, heart rhythm disturbances, tremors, seizures, and in severe cases, death.

Cats are less likely to eat a chocolate bar than a dog would, but they might lap up chocolate milk or eat a crumb of brownie – so be vigilant.

Also keep cats away from coffee grounds, tea bags, sodas, and energy drinks. Even caffeine powder (found in some diet pills or supplements) is extremely dangerous if ingested.

Alcohol affects cats very quickly – even a few licks of an alcoholic drink or fermented food can cause alcohol poisoning. Symptoms include vomiting, wobbliness, low body temperature, difficulty breathing, and potentially coma or death.

Yeast dough (like bread dough left to rise) is double trouble: as yeast ferments in the warm stomach, it produces alcohol and can expand, bloating the stomach. This can lead to severe pain, potential stomach rupture, and alcohol toxicosis.

Never give your cat raw dough or let them drink beer, wine, or liquor. If a cat walks through spilled alcohol and licks its paws – that could be enough to cause harm, due to their small size. Keep all booze far out of reach.

Xylitol is a common artificial sweetener found in sugar-free gum, candies, some peanut butters, toothpaste, and baked goods. In dogs, xylitol causes a dangerous insulin surge leading to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and possible acute liver failure.

While cats may not be as commonly exposed (they’re not usually attracted to sweet flavors), it’s presumed to be very risky for them as well.

There are documented cases of ferrets and possibly cats having xylitol toxicity. Symptoms can include vomiting, loss of coordination, seizures, and collapse.

Never let cats have anything labeled “sugar-free” without checking ingredients for xylitol. This includes some human peanut butters – always read the label before sharing with your kitty.

Macadamia nuts are well-known to poison dogs, causing weakness, tremors, vomiting, and hyperthermia. Less is published about cats and macadamias, but given the cross-species pattern, it’s safest to consider them very dangerous to cats as well.

Walnuts have also been noted as problematic (they can grow molds that produce tremorgenic mycotoxins, causing neurologic symptoms in pets).

In general, no nuts should be given to cats, but macadamias and possibly walnuts are particularly harmful. Signs might include difficulty walking, vomiting, or tremors.

As mentioned earlier, too much salt can cause salt ion poisoning. While an occasional lap of brine or a single chip likely only causes thirst, larger amounts lead to severe imbalances.

Cats have low salt tolerance – symptoms of salt poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, excessive thirst or urination, tremors, and seizures. In fatal cases, salt poisoning can kill a cat.

So never intentionally feed very salty foods, and if your cat ingests something like a bunch of salted jerky or brine, contact a vet.

Avocados contain a substance called persin, which is mostly toxic to birds and large animals like horses. Cats and dogs are more resistant to persin, so small tastes of avocado may only cause minor stomach upset.

However, avocado is high in fat, which can cause pancreatitis in cats if they eat a lot. The pit is a choking hazard and the skin can be tough to digest. Given that there’s no nutritional reason for cats to have avocado, it’s best to avoid it.

Any avocado plants or raw avocados should be kept away from pets, especially the leaves and seeds which have higher persin levels.

Store-bought mushrooms like plain button mushrooms are not known to be toxic to cats in small amounts. However, wild mushrooms are a different story – many contain toxins that can be fatal if ingested by pets.

Cats are curious and might nibble a mushroom in the yard or a wild mushroom that pops up in a houseplant pot.

Because it’s hard to identify mushroom species, it’s safest to assume any wild mushroom could be dangerous (causing liver failure, hallucinations, or other issues).

We include mushrooms in the “never feed intentionally” list. If a recipe has mushrooms, it likely also has butter or seasoning, so that’s another reason to keep it from kitty.

When it comes to fungus, err on the side of caution.

We’d be remiss not to mention that one of the leading causes of pet poisonings is human medications. Cats should never ingest human pain relievers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen – these are extremely toxic to them. Even one pill can be lethal.

Never give your cat any medicine or supplement not prescribed for them, and store all meds out of reach. While pills aren’t “foods,” cats sometimes lick sweet syrup medicines or eat pills dropped on the floor.

If you suspect your cat got any human medication or an illicit substance, treat it as an emergency.